iOS 4.2 beta reveals Apple TV as iOS device

Apple's new look Apple TV is running the same iOS as the iPhone, iPad and iPod touch according to the latest iOS 4.2 beta.

By
Nick Spence
| 17 Sep 10

Apple's new look Apple TV is running the same iOS as the iPhone, iPad and iPod touch.

The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) reports a tipster sent the website details of the USB device configuration list in the new iOS 4.2 beta, which reveals the Apple TV is indeed an iOS device.

Apple made no mention of the change, when Steve Jobs unveiled the cheaper Apple TV on 1 September.

"An entry in iOS 3.2 was referred to as iProd2,1, and we suspected that it was likely an early prototype of a next-gen iPad," Ars Technica's Chris Foresman notes.

"However, an updated configuration file in iOS 4.2b1 reveals the same numeric product ID is attached to an entry for AppleTV2,1, referring to the second major hardware revision of the Apple TV."

Both TUAW and Ars Technica doubt we'll see iPhone style apps running on the new Apple TV anytime soon, due to the lack of onboard storage capacity.

However, being based on iOS, the Apple TV will likely be a target for jailbreak community, offering potential enhancements and modifications. "If hackers are able to jailbreak the device, there may not be enough room to run custom apps, nor is it clear how those applications would interact with the Apple Remote," TUAW's Steven Sande adds.